The Leadership Alliance is a national partnership of 35 leading research and teaching colleges and universities and private industry. The Alliance addresses directly the societal issue of the relatively low participation of underrepresented racia and ethnic minorities in the academy as educators, leaders and decision makers. The Alliance's contribution to overcoming this discrepancy is to expand the opportunities for these students to access competitive training and increase their participation in the academic enterprise. Strategies employed by the Alliance are designed to facilitate the identification, motivation and progression of young scientists from these populations through graduate training and early career appointments through the provision of an active, continuous mentoring process. The training and mentoring begins at the undergraduate level with a national Summer Research Early Identification Program (SR-EIP) that is linked to the Leadership Alliance National Symposium (LANS). The long-term goal of the LANS is to enhance the progression of a diverse group of trainees along doctoral training pathways and into the research workforce. The LANS also responds to the priorities of the NIGMS by providing an opportunity for scholarly exchange to promote the understanding of biological processes, key to the educational development of the next generation of scientists. The following aims are designed to address this critical societal need and support the mutual goals of both the Alliance and NIGMS: 1. Develop effective conference activities that increase the recruitment and retention of underrepresented students in graduate training and research careers. 2. Provide comprehensive mentoring and networking opportunities that clarify academic and career transitions. 3. Create a community of faculty to establish longitudinal relationships that will enhance student educational & professional development. The LANS is of significant value because it contributes to the development of researchers poised to successfully pursue advanced degrees and contribute to a diverse and competitive workforce.